Apple, Target team up to add 'enhanced Apple shopping experience'

Kelly Tyko

| USA TODAY

Some Target stores are getting an Apple upgrade.

The Minneapolis-based retailer announced Thursday that a new “enhanced Apple shopping experience” debuts online and will begin rolling out this month to 17 stores across the country and is scheduled to arrive in additional stores by the end of fall.

The new concept doubles Apple’s footprint in select Target stores and brings displays for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories together in one space “designed for guests to experience new products through demonstrations,” Target said in a news release, adding its tech employees are receiving specialized training from Apple.

Five Texas and four Florida stores are getting the upgrade along with one location apiece in eight other states: California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. (See the list of the first locations to get the Apple experience below.)

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“Apple products are popular with Target’s guests, and this new, dedicated shopping experience offers enhanced service and expanded offerings, building on our strength as a go-to destination for electronics,” Christina Hennington, Target executive vice president and chief growth officer, said in the release.

Apple said in a statement to USA TODAY that it looked forward to expanding to more Target stores this year and working with the retailer.

“With Apple-trained team members and a new, dedicated space to explore iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more, there has never been a better experience for Apple customers at Target,” Apple said.

Shoppers using a Target RedCard save 5% on Apple purchases at Target and can use Target’s same-day fulfillment services that include Drive Up curbside pickup, order pickup inside stores and Shipt same-day delivery.

Target partnerships with Disney, Ulta

This is not the first time Target worked with a popular national brand. In October 2019, T first 25 Disney stores in Target opened with a “shop-in-shop” layout with an average of 750 square feet.

Target and Ulta Beauty announced in November that they were teaming up to bring 100 small “Ulta Beauty at Target” beauty shops to more than 100 Target locations and online in the second half of 2021, with plans to “scale to hundreds more over time.”

In October, Target announced it was expanding its partnership with Levi Strauss & Co and would bring Levi’s Red Tab collection to 500 Target stores by fall 2021. Starting Feb. 28, Target also is releasing a limited collection called Levi’s for Target with more than 100 items, from clothing, home goods to pet accessories.

Target stores getting Apple upgrade

Target said the Apple shopping destinations will begin setting up at the following 17 stores, with additional locations rolling out in 2021 and beyond: